2026 Treasures Of The Inland Sea

Exploring the Charms of Setonaikai

March 27 - April 8, 2026 (13 days & 11 nights)

Kansai, Kobe, Nunobiki Herb Gardens, Kobe Nunobiki Ropeway, Naruto Sightseeing Cruise, Awa Odori Kaikan, Takamatsu, Ferry to Shodoshima Island, Shodoshima Olive Park, Marukin Soy Sauce Factory & Museum, Kankakei Gorge , Angel Road, Ferry to Takamatsu, Takamatsu, Takamatsu Castle Park, Ritsuirin Koen, Shikoku Mura, Seto Naikai Museum of History & Folklore, Shikoku Aquarium, Fan Making Hands-on-activity, Towel Museum Ichihiro, Imabari, Shimanami Kaido, Innoshima Island, Murakami Kaizoku Museum , Ikuchijima Island, Kosanji Temple, Cave of 1000 Buddhas, Fukuyama, Tomonoura, Kurashiki, Bikan Historical Quarter, Okayama, Okayama Castle, Korakuen Garden, Bizen Osafune Japanese Sword Museum, Ako Marine Science Museum, Salt Making Hands-on-activity, Himeji, Himeji Castle, Azuki Bean Museum, Arima Onsen, Kobe, Rokko Garden Terrace, Rokko Music Box Museum, Kobe Port Tower, Nifrel, Kawachi Winery, Osaka, Kansai

$100 EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT
(deposit of $100 per person received by 8/31/2025)

Friday, March 27  (Day 01)
HONOLULU TO OSAKA
Our tour commences this morning when we assemble at the airport for baggage check-in procedures.  We will depart Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines for our flight to Kansai International Airport in Osaka.  Lunch and a snack will be served on board the flight.

Saturday, March 28  (Day 02)
ARRIVE KANSAI (OSAKA)
We’ll arrive Kansai Airport in the late afternoon and after clearing entry procedures, we’ll transfer to our hotel located within the airport to spend the night.

Accommodations at HOTEL NIKKO KANSAI AIRPORT or similar

Sunday, March 29  (Day 03)
KANSAI * KOBE * AWAJI * NARUTO (SHIKOKU ISLAND) * TOKUSHIMA  (B)(D)
We’ll travel to Kobe, capital city of Hyogo prefecture and considered as one of Japan’s most attractive cities.  We’ll visit the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden, Japan’s largest herb garden located on Mount Rokko above the city of Kobe.  Enjoy a ‘walk-in-the-sky on the Kobe Nunobiki Ropeway to the top to view various floral themed gardens, shops, including a rest house designed in the motif of the German “Wartburg Castle”.  We’ll continue our drive on the Akashi Ohashi, a suspension bridge linking the city of Kobe through Awaji Island to Naruto on Shikoku Island.  The Naruto whirlpools that occur along the Shikoku coast of the Naruto Strait are created by large volumes of water moving between the Seto Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean between high and low tides.  Whirlpools vary in size and are best viewed from a cruise on a sightseeing boat in the inland sea which brings you up close to the whirlpools (weather permitting). This afternoon, enjoy a performance of the exclusive Awa dance style by the dynamic Awa no Kaze dance troupe at the Awa Odori Kaikan in Tokushima City.  We’ll spend the night at an onsen resort in Naruto on Shikoku Island.  Dinner will be provided for you tonight at the hotel.

Accommodations at AOAWO NARUTO RESORT or similar 

Monday, March 30  (Day 04)
NARUTO * SHODOSHIMA ISLAND  (B)(L)(D)
We’ll proceed to the Takamatsu Ferry Terminal - the launching point to take a car ferry to Shodoshima Island, an island in the Seto Inland Sea and the birthplace of olive cultivation in Japan, including a long history of soy sauce production.  We’ll ride a ropeway through Kankakei Gorge, up to the observation deck of Kankakei National Park, offering panoramic views of the island.  The gorge is a nationally designated ‘Place of Scenic Beauty’ and is part of the Setonaikai National Park.  Shodoshima Olive Park is surrounded by thousands of olive groves, including a replica of a Greek windmill on a small hill overlooking the Seto Inland Sea.  Enjoy browsing through the shops offering various olive-related products, such as olive oil, olive cosmetics, olive flavored candy, and olive flavored ice cream.  We’ll continue on to visit the Marukin Soy Sauce Factory and Museum, one of the leading soy sauce companies on the island. The museum resembles a soy sauce factory and explains the production process of soy sauce along with all the tools required to produce this condiment.  Subject to confirmation, we’ll visit Angel Road, a disappearing sandbar that forms a path to a series of small islets that appears only twice a day during low tide.  We’ll spend the night at an onsen hotel on Shodoshima Island.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.

Accommodations at BAY RESORT HOTEL SHODOSHIMA or similar 

Tuesday, March 31  (Day 05)
SHODOSHIMA * TAKAMATSU  (B)
We’ll proceed to Tonosho Port to board a car ferry back to Takamatsu city on Honshu Island in Kagawa Prefecture.  On arrival, we’ll visit Takamatsu Castle Park and view the ruins of this castle in a parklike setting with sea water moats containing ocean fish, including a Sea Bream Garden Park, bridges and waterways in a picturesque area.  We’ll visit Ritsurin koen, a scenic garden – once the summer retreat for the Lords of the Matsudaira Family, featuring pine trees winding around a series of ponds, bridges, and rock formations, including the ‘borrowed scenery’ of Mount Shuin in the background.  Enjoy a visit of the Setonaikai Museum of History & Folklore, an impressive building of natural local stone, located high above the Inland Sea on the Goshikidai Plateau.  It features an imposing tower recalling a pirate castle, several exhibition areas containing numerous ships and a whale skeleton.  The rooftop viewing deck offers a stunning view of the Inland Sea.  We’ll spend the night in Takamatsu, a port city on the Seto Inland Sea.  Dinner will be on your own this evening to try some of the local specialties of this prefecture.

Accommodations at JR HOTEL CLEMENT TAKAMATSU or similar

Wednesday, April 1  (Day 06)
TAKAMATSU * IMABARI  (B)(D)
We’ll visit Shikoku-Mura, a village with an open-air museum featuring relocated and restored buildings such as work huts, a rice storehouse and a soy sauce brewery, all from the four prefectures of Shikoku from the Edo period to the Taisho period.  Enjoy a visit of Shikoku Aquarium, an oceanfront aquarium featuring four signature tanks containing aquatic life from the Pacific Ocean, the Seto Inland Sea, and a freshwater zone.  The exhibit also features a dolphin tank and an illustrated catalog of aquatic animals made in the mid-18th century.  We’ll continue on to enjoy a hands-on-activity to make your own bamboo fan at the Marugame Uchiwa Museum, featuring exhibits of fans and demonstrations of fan making.  We’ll spend the night in Imabari, a city best known for its towel production and fishing industry.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.

Accommodations at IMABARI KOKUSAI HOTEL or similar 

Thursday, April 2  (Day 07)
IMABARI * SHIMANAMI KAIDO * FUKUYAMA  (B)(D)
Enjoy an interesting visit of Towel Museum Ichihiro, a unique museum and shop showcasing various high-quality towels, including exhibits demonstrating the towel making process from start to finish.  A permanent gallery in the museum features a display of large colorful quilts made by Kathy Nakajima, a famous Hawaiian quilt artist.  Various works of art created with towels are on display throughout this interesting museum.  We’ll continue on to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Seto Inland Sea on the Shimanami Kaido, a scenic expressway connected with bridges and passing over six small islands.  We’ll make a stop at the second island, Innoshima, and visit the Murakami Kaizoku Museum containing artifacts and memorabilia of the Murakami Pirates, who controlled the Setonaikai throughout the Sengoku period.  Although called pirates, they were responsible for maritime traffic, security, and trade in the Inland Sea.  We’ll continue on to visit Kosanji Temple, an impressive temple belonging to the True Pure Land Sect of Japanese Buddhism, located on Ikuchijima Island, the third island.  Many of the buildings are modeled after some of Japan’s most famous temple buildings: Nikko’s Toshogu Yomeimon Gate and Byodoin’s Phoenix Hall.  A highlight of the temple is the Cave of 1,000 Buddhas, a long cave with images illustrating the tortures of Buddhist hell.  We’ll continue on to spend the night in Fukuyama in Hiroshima Prefecture, a city noted for its beautiful flowers and geta sandals.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening.

Accommodations at FUKUYAMA NEW CASTLE HOTEL or similar

Friday, April 3  (Day 08)
FUKUYAMA * KURASHIKI * OKAYAMA  (B)(D)
Enjoy a leisure stroll through the quiet town of Tomonoura, a picturesque old-fashioned fishing town in Fukuyama situated at the bay facing the Seto Inland Sea – part of the Seto Naikai National Park.  The town features a fishing townscape with many photogenic alleys lined by rustic old houses and has been picked as a filming location for several international and local movies such as “The Wolverine”.  We’ll continue on to the charming town of Kurashiki to enjoy a stroll through the Bikan Historical Quarter featuring souvenir shops, boutiques, cafes and museums lined along the picturesque Kurashiki Canal.  We’ll continue on to spend the night in Okayama, capital city of Okayama Prefecture.  Enjoy a stroll through picturesque Korakuen Garden, noted as one of Japan’s three best landscaped gardens and designated as a ‘Special Place of Scenic Beauty.’  The garden features seasonal flowers, a large pond, walking paths, and a crane aviary.  Weather permitting, the cherry blossoms should be in bloom at this time of the year.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening.

Accommodations at OKAYAMA KOKUSAI HOTEL or similar

Saturday, April 4  (Day 09)
OKAYAMA * AKO * HIMEJI  (B)(D)
We’ll visit the interesting Bizen Osafune Japanese Sword Museum to see some of the finest cutting weapons ever produced and how they are made and maintained.  Subject to availability, we may be able to see a master swordsmith at work.  We’ll continue on to Ako, a small city best known as Japan’s salt capital and home to the tale of the 47 Ronin.  Enjoy a visit at the Ako Marine Science Museum that provides a good overview of the area’s salt making history, the geological history of the Seto Inland Sea and Ako’s natural environment.  Enjoy a hands-on-activity at salt making at their Salt Farm “Shio-no-Kuni”.  We’ll continue on to spend the night in the city of Himeji, a central city located in the Sanyo area.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel. 

Accommodations at HOTEL NIKKO HIMEJI or similar

Sunday, April 5  (Day 10)
HIMEJI * ARIMA ONSEN (B)(D)
We’ll continue on to view the grounds of Himeji Castle, a hilltop castle regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical castle architecture, known as ‘White Heron Castle”, due to its brilliant white exterior.  Himeji Castle is considered as one of Japan’s three premier castles and considered a National Treasure.  Weather permitting, the cherry blossoms may be in bloom around the castle grounds.  We’ll continue on to visit the Azuki (sweet red beans) Bean Factory, an interesting facility to learn about the cultivation and processing of this sweet product, considered a treasured food item used in Japanese confectionaries and desserts.  Azuki products will be available for purchase at the Azuki Shop.  We’ll continue on to spend the night in the charming onsen town of Arima, considered one of Japan’s oldest hot spring resorts.  Arima has two types of hot spring waters:  Kinsen (gold water), brown water containing iron deposits and said to be good for skin ailments & muscle pain, and Ginsen (silver water) containing radium & carbonate and said to cure various muscle and joint ailments.  Enjoy a stroll through the quaint town to browse through the shops and cafes.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening.

Accommodations at ARIMA GRAND HOTEL or similar 

Monday, April 6  (Day 11)
ARIMA ONSEN * KOBE * OSAKA  (B)
View an extensive collection of automatic playing instruments mainly from Europe and the U.S. over a hundred years old at the Rokko Garden Terrace, a hilltop plaza atop Mt. Rokko where you can enjoy a panoramic view from the Akashi Strait to the Osaka Plain - one of the most scenic spots in Japan.  At the Rokko Music Box Museum, enjoy a ‘concert without a performer’ in an intimate hall with a full-sized ‘music box’ that fills the hall with sound.  A shop with various souvenir music boxes is also available.  Enjoy strolling on the casual walkways and the quaint shops and cafes around the area.  We’ll visit the Kobe Port Tower, an iconic symbol of Kobe to enjoy a panoramic view of the city and Osaka Bay from the glass enclosed rooftop and observation floor.  We’ll continue on to spend two nights in Osaka.  Dinner will be on your own this evening.

Accommodations at HILTON OSAKA or similar

Tuesday, April 7  (Day 12)
OSAKA  (B)(D)
Experience a visit to Nifrel, a futuristic facility featuring eight zones of art-like presentations of wildlife:  an interactive zoo, a science museum, and an aquarium, all offering experiences with animals and nature.  The exhibits are visual as well as educational and will deepen your interest in living creatures and nature. Located adjacent to the facility is LaLaport ExpoCity, offering a collection of many shops and restaurants for your shopping and dining opportunities.  Enjoy an interesting guided tour of Kawachi Winery, a family operated winery located in Habikino City.  Delicious varieties of their wine and grape products will be available for you to sample and enjoy at the conclusion of the tour.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening.

Accommodations at HILTON OSAKA or similar

Wednesday, April 8  (Day 13)
OSAKA  (B)
Enjoy the morning exploring Osaka city at your leisure for your own activities.  In the afternoon, we’ll transfer to the Kansai International Airport for our evening flight home to Honolulu, arriving in the morning on the same day due to the crossing of the International Dateline.  A late meal will be served on board the flight. 

The tour price is based on double occupancy and a minimum group size of 25 passengers.  A fare adjustment may apply for groups of 20 or less.  The rate is based on tariffs and exchange rates effective 5/1/2025.  Tour fare is subject to change according to any airfare increase, increase in government taxes, additional fuel surcharges and fluctuation of the rate of exchange between U.S. and foreign currency.  In the event of revaluation, the land portion of the tour price may be adjusted prior to your final statement.  We reserve the right to revise content of the itinerary due to unforeseen issues, weather & safety concerns.

Land portion based on 145 Yen = $1.00 U.S.

Printable Itinerary
2026 General Conditions
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